


Picnic in Central Park

by Subaruchan192



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Dating, Fluff, Food, M/M, Picnics, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 09:53:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25468855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subaruchan192/pseuds/Subaruchan192
Summary: On a warm summer day Rafael and Sonny have a picnic in Central Park and Rafael begins to imagine to be in a relationship with Sonny.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 36





	Picnic in Central Park

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hanzios](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanzios/gifts).



> My dear hanzios, I wish you a happy Birthday. I hope you enjoy your day =)

Rafael blinked against the sun which shone gently down to him and its beams caressed his body, easing some tensions which sat deeply inside his muscles. It was a mild spring day, the scent of flowers and freshly mewed grass dancing on the wind. He laid on his back, his head resting on his arm as he watched how the clouds slowly floated by and the green leaves of the trees sang quietly.

It was busy in Central Park, quiet mutters and muffled conversations teasing Rafael’s ear, but he ignored them. To his surprise, Sonny had found a spot, where they could roll out the red and white checked blanket.

‘I know a spot,’ he had exclaimed proudly, while he had taken Rafael’s hand carelessly which had startled Rafael and had pulled him in a fast pace through the park. Neither of them had noticed, how their fingers had laced naturally.

They were still in that phase, where they tried to figure out if there was something between them and if so, what exactly it was. Normally, Rafael had a clear, unclouded gaze on things, but with Sonny he wasn’t able to understand himself. Everything was so intense and contrary. On the one hand Sonny really got on his nerves at times sometimes they clashed, but on the other hand there were those quiet moment like this one in which Rafael felt this deep connection between them.

He turned his head to Sonny who laid on the other side of the blanket. The wind was caressing his hair tenderly and Sonny listened carefully to every word it whispered into his ear. It was an endearing view to see Sonny that relaxed and Rafael couldn’t take his eyes off him.

The sun appeared from beyond the roof of leaves and its beams grazed over Sonny’s hair, turning the silver into gold and for a moment Rafael’s fingers twitched and the urge of running them through these strands, but Rafael suppressed it.

Instead he sat up and reached for the picnic basket. He pulled it closer to him and scrambled through the content, disturbing the silence and the peace. Maybe even voluntary so, because he didn’t know what to make out of the feelings and thoughts which came to the surface when his mind slowed down.

“What are you looking for,” Sonny asked, but he didn’t open his eyes.

“Just for something to drink,” he replied dismissively as he got a bottle of water. There was a hiss from the escaping carbon dioxide as he opened the lit.

“Rafael Barba, are you drinking soda?”

“And if it were so,” Rafael asked calmly while he rested the bottle against his lips. Tiny sparks of the acid jumped out of the opening into their freedom and tingled on his lips.

“Then I have to make a video evidence, because no one is going to be believe me otherwise.” A deep yawn escaped him and he covered his mouth before he stretched and sat up.

“But then everyone would know that we’re meeting in private,” Rafael added for consideration.

“Would that be so bad?” Sonny’s eyes sparkled mischievously and fished himself a vanilla cupcake with a strawberry topping from which he took a heartily bite. Little remnants of white dough got stuck on his lips and he quickly wiped them into his mouth with his thumb.

Rafael watched it out of the corners of his eyes and his heart warmed a little.

“Well, it would mean our little game of hide and seek would end and I quite enjoy it.” Rafael smiled as he stretched out his arms and settled back onto the blanket. He had never understood why people enjoyed watching the clouds passing by, but in the company of Sonny he was finally able to relax completely and that was something he truly appreciated.

“Do you,” Sonny fluted and rolled himself onto his stomach, his incredibly long legs dangling in the air while he looked at him with a smirk.

“Hmmhmmm…,” Rafael hummed and closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze, which danced through his hair.

“Well, well, who’d have thought that?” Sonny laughed and slid closer to him. Rafael could feel the warmth of his body gently licking like the tide against his side. Sonny smiled and let his head drop to the side. Immediately, his breath blew into his face and caressed his cheeks. Rafael smiled, wrapped an arm loosely around Sonny’s hips and searched blindly for his lips. Sonny sighed and snuggled closer, sinking into the kiss.

Yes, Rafael truly enjoyed the way they worked and how it was going. He was finally able to take a breather and leave the job behind. By God he didn’t remember when was the last he had done nothing and it had been even longer since when he had done so, although his schedule had objected and the picnic was definitely worth it. It recharged his batteries, which had been running low for quite a while.

It seemed like Sonny hadn’t just appeared, when the SVU had needed him, but also when he had needed him without knowing it. He was a breath of fresh air, which showed them that being open and vulnerable was a strength, not a weakness.

Sonny rubbed his nose against his after they dissolved and Rafael couldn’t help the smile from spreading over his lips even if he wanted to, but he had decided to let go today and just enjoy himself and the delicious food Sonny had prepared for them.

They simple stared into each other’s eyes for a while, exploring the colour play within the iris’s fibres, but then the tender silence was disturbed as a colourful ball flew towards them and hit Sonny’s head.

“Ouch!”

“Sonny, is everything alright,” Rafael asked concerned.

“Yeah. I’m a bullhead,” Sonny replied with a laugh as he knocked against his head as if to prove it was out of iron and Rafael rolled his eyes, but grinned about it.

“I’m sorry!” A brown-haired girl broke out of the bushes, which framed a barely used trail and ran over to them. “I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

“I’m fine,” Sonny assured with that radiant, charming smile of his, while he held the ball with the glitter stars in his hands. “That was quite an impressive kick of yours.”

“Thanks!” The girl beamed at him, while she played with the hem of her summer with beautiful, big sunflowers as she swirled from side to side.

“Here you are!” With these words, Sonny handed the ball back to her.

“Thank you!” Eagerly, she took the ball from him and turned on her heels, sprinting back to whomever was waiting for her. Just when she almost reached the path, she turned around, rose her hand and called towards them: “Have a nice day.”

Then, she was off with the wind.

“What a cute girl.” Sonny looked after her with a soft smile which he always carried around children and something within this smile made Rafael thinking about a potential future together with Sonny and warmth spread through him at the images his mind painted.

“Indeed.” Rafael reached for the picnic basket and got himself his own cupcake, which he eagerly ate, savouring the taste of vanilla with a hint of lemon and the perfectly fluffy dough on his tongue. “But it makes me wonder how you were able to escape your duty of playing soccer with Noah.”

“It’s Fin’s task today,” Sonny explained with a shrug and rested himself relaxed onto the blanket, his arms crossed underneath his head.

“Okay, what did he do to deserve that punishment?” Rafael turned his head to him and looked at him with a questioning gaze, one eyebrow raised.

“Do you really wanna know,” he asked with a smirk, while he closed his eyes.

“No, not really,” Rafael admitted with a laugh. He wrapped an arm around his leg and watched how the leaves danced as he added softly: “But I’m glad about it. It means I get to spend the day with you.”

“Me too.” Sonny smiled softly at him and squeezed his hand and this very moment it felt right to be here. To be with _Sonny_.

For the first time, Rafael didn’t care if it was going to last. He didn’t want to worry anymore. He had enough of that any other day and for once, he simply wanted to enjoy and forget all of it.

Sonny was the first person he trusted and felt comfortable enough to give in to the urge. The only person next to Olivia he didn’t need to keep up the façade. Sonny was too kind to abuse this trust and take advantage of it.

It took quite a lot of courage of from him to make such a small step as to rest down next to him, so close that their arms were brushing against each other.

Surprised, Sonny glanced over to him, but then he could almost feel his smile in the air when he saw how Rafael had closed his eyes. He turned his head to him, their noses almost touching and Rafael felt how his warm breath stroked over his skin. Rafael sighed contently and a small, but honest smile spread over Rafael’s thin lips.

He reached out, his fingers tenderly running along the contours of his face, feeling the mountain and valleys of his smile. His skin was soft, warm and perfect like porcelain and Rafael couldn’t believe he was truly there and it wasn’t a dream.

It wouldn’t have been the first dream like this.

But Sonny stayed solid, didn’t dissolve into particles like a part of him had expected which had been disappointed too often in his life and Sonny felt too good to be true at times.

As if he didn’t deserve him and that thought made his stomach twinge, but he shoved it away. No! He wouldn’t doom it before it begun just because he was embittered by the world.

Sonny sighed when his fingertips reached his lips and aspirated a small kiss to them. The soft touch tingled in his nerves and made his heart jump. Maybe, just maybe, for once in his life, he was going to be lucky and found something beautiful in a world, which was grey or even black way too often.

Sonny was, well, sunny and Rafael snorted about that stupid thought of his, but it was true. Dominick Carisi felt like the sun. He was warm, gentle and easily brightened up even the strongest of darkness with a smile of his.

Sometimes Rafael wondered where Sonny’s urge to please came from. Though, to please might not be the right word for it. He didn’t do it to gain the appreciation of others. He did, because he honestly wished everybody to be happy and did the best he could to assure it.

It was an admirable attribute of his, Rafael had to admit it, but one which could be easily taken advantage of and Sonny likely wouldn’t even mind. As the good Christian that he was he would likely even offer the other cheek, but there was more to it. The saddest people often smiled the brightest and they didn’t want any other person to experience what they had.

Sonny would carry the weight of the world if he could and Rafael hoped it wouldn’t break him. Because Sonny’s soul was too beautiful to get lost even though he didn’t believe it himself.

It was this moment in which Rafael realized how important Sonny had become to him without his notice and it should unsettle him, but it didn’t. Instead it filled him with warmth.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and looked at the peacefully relaxed detective, who rested beside him. His silvery hair shone warmly in the gentle light of the summer sun. It looked like liquid gold and Rafael just needed to touch it, to run his fingers through it.

“Thank you, Sonny,” he whispered tenderly.

“What for?”

“For convincing me to do this. For preparing the picnic. For distracting me.” Rafael opened his eyes and smiled at him. “For everything.”

Rafael leaned over and breathed a soft kiss onto those smooth, soft lips who either spoke quite awkward things or nothing but the truth.

Sonny opened his eyes and turned around to him. They were close. Incredibly close. Closer than anyone had ever been to Rafael for a long time. Maybe ever.

Rafael would have expected it to scare him, but it didn’t. Instead, he felt comfortable, secure and safe and that was what he was most grateful for.

With Sonny by his side it felt like he could face the greatest darkness with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked the story, hanzios =) I had a lot of fun writing it.
> 
> Please let me know what you thin about it =)
> 
> Greetings, Subaru


End file.
